Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1901 — Wabash Narrowly Escapes Another Wreck. [ARTICLE]

Wabash Narrowly Escapes Another Wreck.

i The Wabash train due in Pern at seven o’clock was delayed a short distance east of that city by a pariially burned bridge Tuesday evening. The bridge was crossed, j however, and the train started on to Peru at a high rate of spsed, being late. About the same time a special j bridge train was sent out of Peru, t After it left came news of the de--1 parture of passenger train. With ino telegraph station between the ! point the officers realized that j nothing short of a miracle could I save the trains and the wreck train J was called out with all available I physicians of the city on board, | and preparations were made for j the worst?* The wrecking train had only gone about four miles when the paseenger train was seen coming. At the point where the trains met was a long and rounding curve and the headlights of both engines could be seen.

Even with this in their favor and with the full force of the emergency brakes applied the engines came together with sufficient force to break the pilots, headlights and other parts of the front ends, though neither engine left the track. Both trains were running fully fifty miles an hoar when they sighted each other, and though the speed had slackened materially when the collision came, the shaking up was terrific, passengers were tossed about and two men were severely but not dangerously injured by having their heads out of the window. Mrs. R. P. Berndt, of Wabash, an invalid, was shaken so that serious prostration resulted. The enginemen and all the men on the bridge train jumped, but none were injured beyond slight bruses. Mail matter was thrown in all directions, but none of the nine olerks were hurt.